Multimodal Data Integration and User Interaction for Avatar Simulation in Augmented Reality

Augmented Reality (AR) allows users to interact with the virtual world in the real-world environment. This paper proposes a child avatar simulation framework using multimodal data integration and user interaction in the AR environment. This framework generates the child avatar that can interact with the user and respond to his/her behaviors and consists of three subsystems: (1) the avatar interaction system scrutinizes user behaviors based on the user data, (2) the avatar action control system generates naturalistic avatar activities (actions and voices) according to the avatar internal status, and (3) the avatar display system renders the avatar through the AR interface. In addition, a child tantrum management training application has been built based on the proposed framework. And a light machine learning model has been integrated to enable efficient and effective speech emotion recognition. A sufficiently realistic child tantrum management training based on the evaluation of clinical child psychologists is enabled, which helps users get familiar with child tantrum management

Risk and resilience of well-being in caregivers of young children in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting communities worldwide, with direct effects of illness and mortality, and indirect effects on economies, workplaces, schools/daycares, and social life. However, we understand very little about the effects of this pandemic on families of young children. We used a risk and resilience model to evaluate the effects of the pandemic on mental health in diverse caregivers (N = 286) with children ages birth to 5. We evaluated the hypotheses that (a) pandemic stress and caregiver-reported child psychosocial concerns correlate with caregivers' mental health symptoms and (b) caregivers' pandemic-related self-efficacy and coping mediate these relationships. Caregivers completed surveys in April-May 2020 assessing pandemic stress (e.g., health, finances, and housing), child psychosocial problems, coping strategies, and self-efficacy to manage family needs. Our primary outcome was caregivers' self-reported changes in mental health symptoms since the outbreak. Path analysis revealed that higher pandemic stress was associated with caregivers' reduced confidence in meeting their family's needs related to COVID-19, which correlated with worse caregiver mental health symptoms. Greater child psychosocial problems also predicted worse caregiver mental health symptoms. Findings suggest that pandemic stress, child psychosocial problems, and caregiver self-efficacy are interrelated in their influence on caregivers' mental health. While further research is needed to examine strategies to foster resilience and buffer the pandemic's effects on caregiver mental health, this is a first step in evaluating the psychosocial effects of this pandemic in families of young children. Clinical implications are discussed for a tiered response to mitigate the pandemic's impacts on family functioning

Multimodal Data Integration for Interactive and Realistic Avatar Simulation in Augmented Reality

The affordance of Augmented Reality (AR) allows users to view the virtual objects along with real world simultaneously, which provides more realistic and immersive experiences to interact with them. In this paper, we propose to integrate data with different modalities (such as animation, audio, and user behavior data) to generate a realistic child avatar in the AR environment that is responsive to the user's behaviors. The proposed framework has three components: avatar interaction system, avatar action control system, and avatar display system. The avatar interaction system leverages user behavior data to allow for reasonable interactions of the avatar, the avatar action control system integrates actions and audio data to generate realistic avatar actions, and the avatar display system presents the avatar to the user via the AR interface. Furthermore, a child tantrum management training application is implemented based on the proposed system to allow users to experience child tantrum and learn how to respond and manage different child tantrum situations. The application based on our system can run in real-time with an average of 93.41 fps. Based on the qualitative evaluation, the simulated child avatar has shown to be realistic enough and is able to respond to the user's gaze instantly in the AR environment. The action, reaction, treatment, and mitigation of the child avatar behavior among different tantrum levels in the avatar action controller are accurately represented through the clinical evaluation experiences from pediatricians and trained psychologists

Virtual robotic telepresence early childhood mental health consultation to childcare centers in the aftermath of COVID-19: training approaches and perceived acceptability and usefulness

Introduction Childcare center closures during COVID-19 impacted education for approximately 40 million children nationwide. Unfortunately, COVID-19 restrictions significantly limited the extent that outside personnel could provide in-person support to educators, resulting in the need for innovative approaches to meet childcare centers’ needs. A virtual robotic telepresence approach was applied to early childhood consultation models to promote child resilience while mitigating COVID-19 risks. The goal of this study was to examine how training influenced consultants’ and childcare staff uptake of the virtual robotic telepresence consultation approach and their acceptance of this technology. Methods Ten early childhood consultants received multimedia/simulation training and weekly communities of practice related to virtual telepresence robotic consultation. Telepresence robotic consultation equipment was deployed to 16 childcare centers in a diverse multilingual metropolitan area as a part of a larger randomized controlled trial. Consultants trained childcare staff (14 center directors and 58 teachers) on how to receive virtual telepresence robotic consultation. Demographic information and measures of technology acceptability and uptake were collected from childcare staff and consultants. A mixed methods approach was used including multilevel modeling and focus groups to examine consultation uptake, acceptability, barriers, and facilitators of virtual telepresence robotic consultation implementation. Results Consultants and childcare staff generally perceived the virtual telepresence consultation approach to be useful and easy to use. Consultant perceptions of the acceptability of technology did not change over time. Childcare staff, center, and consultant factors impacted the uptake of the virtual robotic telepresence consultation approach and childcare staff acceptance of the technology. Focus groups revealed that consultants believed that additional hands-on training with childcare staff would have benefited implementation and expressed a desire for a hybrid approach for consultation. Discussion Perceptions of telepresence robotic consultation acceptability are discussed, including future recommendations for training

An 18-week model of Parent–Child Interaction Therapy: clinical approaches, treatment formats, and predictors of success for predominantly minoritized families

Introduction Disruptive behavior disorders are among the most prevalent pediatric mental health referrals for young children. However, families from historically minoritized social identities have experienced disparities in treatment access, retention, and outcomes. Evidence-based interventions such as Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) have been found to be effective in reducing children’s disruptive behaviors in minoritized families. However, variable treatment length as a result of skill-based graduation criteria (e.g., observed caregiver verbalizations) may slow and/or hinder treatment progress, particularly for families where expected treatment verbalizations are less linguistically relative (e.g., no exact English to Spanish translations) and/or culturally familiar. Time-limited PCIT has been proposed as a strategy for promoting equity in treatment completion and outcomes amongst minoritized families, because treatment progression and/ or completion is not contingent upon caregiver linguistic skill demonstration. Methods The current study evaluated the overall effectiveness of an 18-week model of PCIT and examined predictors of retention and treatment outcomes. Participants ( N = 488 dyads) included predominantly racially, ethnically, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse children aged two to eight years, and their caregivers. Results Overall findings indicate that the 18-week PCIT model is an effective intervention for reducing children’s externalizing and internalizing behaviors and improving caregiver parenting skills for most treatment completers. Despite advances in treatment completion, some caregiver social identities and PCIT treatment characteristics were predictive of lower completion rates and/or less optimal treatment outcomes. Discussion Overall, this study provides strong support for widely disseminating use of the 18-week model of PCIT for most families served. Clinical implications and considerations for continued treatment inequity are discussed

Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms

International audienceAngiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods 1,2 . A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome 3,4 . Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins 5–7 . However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes 8 . This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies 9 provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade

Phylogenomics and the rise of the angiosperms.

Angiosperms are the cornerstone of most terrestrial ecosystems and human livelihoods1,2. A robust understanding of angiosperm evolution is required to explain their rise to ecological dominance. So far, the angiosperm tree of life has been determined primarily by means of analyses of the plastid genome3,4. Many studies have drawn on this foundational work, such as classification and first insights into angiosperm diversification since their Mesozoic origins5-7. However, the limited and biased sampling of both taxa and genomes undermines confidence in the tree and its implications. Here, we build the tree of life for almost 8,000 (about 60%) angiosperm genera using a standardized set of 353 nuclear genes8. This 15-fold increase in genus-level sampling relative to comparable nuclear studies9 provides a critical test of earlier results and brings notable change to key groups, especially in rosids, while substantiating many previously predicted relationships. Scaling this tree to time using 200 fossils, we discovered that early angiosperm evolution was characterized by high gene tree conflict and explosive diversification, giving rise to more than 80% of extant angiosperm orders. Steady diversification ensued through the remaining Mesozoic Era until rates resurged in the Cenozoic Era, concurrent with decreasing global temperatures and tightly linked with gene tree conflict. Taken together, our extensive sampling combined with advanced phylogenomic methods shows the deep history and full complexity in the evolution of a megadiverse clade